


Blue Waters

by FictionalDragonMother



Series: Salty Love [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: (slight) aquaphobia, AU, Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Animal Behavior, Aquaphobia, Beta Trolls - Freeform, Blood, Cutting, Depressed!John Au, Dogs, Drowning, Emotional support animal, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, Force-Feeding, Healing, Healthy Coping Mechanisms, Healthy Relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Karkat Needs a Hug, Karkat Swearing, M/M, MerDave, MerJade, MerRose, Merstuck, Mertrolls, Migration, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Past Abuse, Polyamory, Quadrant Confusion, Running Away, Seastuck, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Acceptance, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Starving, Suicidal Thoughts, Transformation, Trust, Trust Issues, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, beta kids - Freeform, but for a good reason, hemospectrum not being as important as it is in cannon, hurt john egbert, karkat is an excellent matchmaker, learning to love yourself, merfolk, mermaid au, species instincts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-16 12:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionalDragonMother/pseuds/FictionalDragonMother
Summary: When John decides to move into the house he inherited from his father, he discovers that being alone with his thoughts isn't the best thing for an unstable teen.Luckily, he's not as alone as he thought, and his new friends are going to get to the bottom of why John won't let them touch him.





	1. Merfolk Poem

_Don't linger in the waters_  
_Where the merfolk are at play_  
_The ocean's sons and daughters_  
_Will lead our kind astray._

_Though many is the sailor_  
_Who has found themselves on land_  
_After meeting with a strange mer_  
_That they could not understand,_

_It seems they care for no reward_  
_For tender ministration_  
_When we have toppled overboard_  
_In our inebriation._

_But if it's you they've chosen_  
_They'll surround you with their kin_  
_Your legs are bound and frozen_  
_In a wrap of silver skin,_

_Soon you'll be understanding_  
_All that passes from their tongues_  
_No food you'll be demanding_  
_Nor fresh air to fill your lungs,_

_And they'll take you as their brother_  
_Or their sister as they please_  
_And you'll be just another_  
_Of the merfolk in the seas._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poem is from Sea of Theives


	2. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John moves out, and says goodbye to his brother

“Are you _sure_ you’ll be okay by yourself?”

John rolled his eyes at his brother, a small half smile making its way onto his face.

“Yes Jake, I’m sure. Besides, I’m not going to be by myself, I have Casey. Isn’t that right girl?” He said, scratching behind the golden lab puppy’s ear. His loyal companion barked affirmatively, her pink tongue lolling out happily. 

Jake sighed but nodded, placing the last box into the moving van. It was labelled ‘Photos’ and was clearly well loved, the sides having been worn down to dull nubs and strips of cardboard were clearly missing. John ran a pale hand over the box, a bittersweet feeling washing over him. Contained within the worn-down box was his favourite photos of him and his family. They were old, pictures of him and Jake as young children. Some were of their absent mother, and some were of their father, who had recently passed away due to a sudden heart attack.

It was for this reason that John was moving in the first place. When his grandmother had died, his father had inherited her beachfront cottage. Since he had two children he had to raise, and his job here had paid well, he decided not to move. He kept the home in his possession though, and since he had left their childhood home to Jake, he had given the cottage to John, as he knew that John loved the sea and wouldn’t mind moving houses.

John was happy that he had such a place to move to. He didn’t have any friends in this town, but he had plenty of enemies. Consequences of being a “problem child”, though he blamed his acquiring of that title on the fact that he had been in the system for a substantial part of his early teen years. That he blamed entirely on his mother.

Rubbing his eye, he cleared his mind. He didn’t want to think about her right now. Pushing the box farther into the truck, he reached up and shut the door. A sense of pride sunk into his body like warm sunlight on a chilly day. It was nigh unheard of for an 18-year-old to have his own home, and on the water no less. Perhaps this would help him finally make some friends?

He doubted it.

Taking a quick glance back at his childhood home, he looked it over. Its familiar cracked red bricks seemed duller somehow, like they were sad to see him go. John felt slightly bad, but brushed it off, straightening his slouched posture as he turned towards his brother, who had a sad, concerned look on his face.

“Make sure you call me when you get there okay? And for God’s sake take care of yourself John, please.” He said quietly, laying a gentle hand on John’s shoulder. John flinched slightly out of reflex, and instantly felt guilty upon seeing Jake’s expression become sadder. 

He forced a fake smile on his face and patted Jake’s hand, trying to reassure his elder sibling that he would, in fact, be alright. He mentally reassured himself at the same time. Slipping out from under his brother’s hand, John scooped Casey up into his arms, making sure to grab her favourite toy, a tattered bunny rabbit plushie. 

“Come on girl, we need to get going.” He said, placing the happy puppy into a pet carrier. He placed the carrier on the passenger seat of his beat-up truck. Turning his head, he waved to Jake, who tried to smile, and gave John a wave back. John hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

‘Okay world,’ He thought as he turned up the volume on his radio, a soft tune beginning to trickle out of his speakers.

_‘what do you have for me now?’_

 

_“There will come a soldier_

_Who carries a mighty sword_

_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai o lord_

_O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_

_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai o lord_

_There will come a poet_

_Whose weapon is his word_

_He will slay you with his tongue, o lei o lai o lord_

_O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_

_He will slay you with his tongue, o lei o lai o lord_

_There will come a ruler_

_Whose brow is laid in thorn_

_Smeared with oil like David's boy, o lei o lai o lord_

_O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_

_Smeared with oil like David's boy, o lei o lai o lord_

_O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_

_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Soldier, Poet, King by Oh Hellos


	3. -------> Be: Dave Strider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave has breakfast and see's the new pretty boy in town

Dave sneezed as sand flew up into his nose, the gritty muck stinging his nostrils as he snorted involuntarily. He sneezed, the expelled sand forming little murky swirls in the chilly water. He opened his eyes and blinked, pushing himself up and sneezing again.

“Man, what the hell?” He questioned sleepily, running a webbed hand over his face as he fumbled for his shades. Placing them on his face, he glared at the giggling seal mer.   
“Oops! Sorry Dave!” Jade apologized, trying to smother her laughter as bubbles rose up from her mouth. Dave scowled, his earfins flicking in annoyance as he heard Rose snicker from behind him.

The betta mer rose off the sandbar, his pale tail churning up sand as he swam. Sunbeams penetrated the clear water and washed over him, driving back the morning chill. It was early spring, and the water was rather cold in most places, too cold for him to swim in for too long, so he was confined to the shallows for now.   
He didn’t mind, as the area they were staying in for now was quiet, no humans risking trespassing on the property on shore. Apparently, there used to be a human living there, but for years now, as far as Dave knew, the place had sat abandoned. He floated lazily as Jade and Rose began swimming towards deeper water in search of breakfast. Dave swam towards the abandoned property, knowing that the waters surrounding a collection of rocks that formed a kind of circular separating the ocean from a cove in front of the wooden cottage were loaded with small plump squids, crabs and slow, chubby fish. 

He flicked his tail, propelling himself forward. A current tugged at him, making his journey easier. Small shells glittered slightly under the sun, and Dave made a mental note to gather some for Jade. The black-haired girl would love to make bracelets from them. When he got near the wall, he began turning over small rocks. A red crab scuttled out from beneath one, and Dave snatched it up, cracking its shell with his sharp teeth. He scarfed down the soft meat that had been exposed, tossing aside the remains when he was done. He caught several more crabs and a slimy squid. Afterwards he picked at his teeth, removing bits of bone and shell.

The sound of splashing reached his ears, and he turned his head upwards, darting to the surface, his crimson eyes trailing towards the shore. What had previously been an empty beach now had two vehicles parked on it, a beat-up blue truck, and a large van. The splashing noise originated from a small animal jumping around in the water, sticking its head under and blowing bubbles. It reminded Dave of an energetic seal pup.

“Casey, what are you doing girl?” 

Dave ducked most of his head back underwater, keeping his eyes just above the surface. Standing in the front doorway of the cottage was a human. A VERY handsome human.  
His hair was like the sea at night, dark and wild, contrasting against his skin, which looked as though it had been kissed by the moon herself. His eyes looked like someone had taken the ocean and poured it into his irises. The rest of his body was hidden by a dark blue sweater and black pants, making him blend in with the shade created by a nearby tree. 

Dave could feel his fins flare out in display, and he quickly ducked fully under, his face as red as his eyes. Who was that human? Would he be living in the cottage? Why did he make him so flustered? Striders don’t blush damnit!  
Dave shook his head. No, he was not crushing on some random human he saw from a distance. He already _had_ two partners. He needed to find Jade and Rose. They would want to hear about their new company, and Jade would be so excited to see the seal-thing! 

 

_…And maybe, just maybe, they would go and take another look at the human._


	4. Evening on the dock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chap
> 
> John feels tired and decides to go and sit on the dock.
> 
> Does he see something, or is it his imagination?

John flopped face down onto his bed, breathing in the scent of new blankets. Rolling over, he picked Casey up and set her on the bed. The golden lab snuggled against John, pressing her muzzle against his face, her pink tongue licking at his nose. John laughed and pet her head slowly, his energy nearly gone. He hated the feeling of utter exhaustion that often overtook him almost every time he tried to do something productive. 

It was nearly evening so he rolled over, forcing his legs to work as he made his way to the kitchen. Grabbing a water bottle, he reached up and opened a cabinet. It was empty, save for a small white bottle. He snatched the bottle and looked at it. Celexa. Oh joy. It was supposed to help with his depression and make him less tired, but all it seemed to do was make him more tired, and thus, sadder and angrier at himself. Sighing, he uncapped the prescription bottle and popped two of the little white pills into his mouth. The awful taste that most pills came with dissipated as he took a drink from the water bottle. Placing the pills back, John decided to head outside.

A warm summer breeze carried the scent of sea salt as the sun’s last rays washed over him, drenching him in their warm glow. Purples, golds, reds and oranges were splashed across the sky like a painting, melting together in a way that made it seem like the colours could never, ever contrast each other in a negative way. John smiled. He always did seem to romanticize the sky. Walking across his new sandy yard, John made his way to the nearby dock. The tide was almost fully out, so he didn’t have to worry about being splashed. Sitting down, he swung his legs over the end, letting them dangle above the ocean water below. Tiny fish flitted about, searching for food.

‘Shit, I need to get food tomorrow.’ He thought, pulling out his phone to set a reminder. It was one thing to forget to feed himself, but he would be damned if he forgot to feed Casey.

As he typed up a reminder, something flashed just within the edges of his vision. Snapping his head up, he just barely caught a soft brown tail disappearing beneath the water beyond the wall of rocks. It had looked like a seal’s tail…

“What the hell…” He muttered, pushing himself up. These were tropical waters! What on earth was a seal doing around here? Had it gotten lost? Swept up in an ocean current?  
John stared out at the water for a few more moments, before shaking his head. Maybe he had just imagined it? Yes, that had to be it. After all, no seals lived out here!

 

“Jade, in what universe is surfacing when a human is _literally meters away from you_ a good idea?!” Rose cried, shaking the seal mer. 

Jade blinked, her distant eyes refocusing. She shook her head, a blush creeping onto her face. She shot the orca mer a sheepish look.

“Sorry! I just… the way Dave described him, I had to see if he was exaggerating!” She said, scratching the back of her head.

“Aannnddd?” Rose asked, making a “go on” gesture.

Jade leaned closer to Rose, so close that their noses were touching.

 _“He wasn’t.”_ She said, a wide grin appearing on her face.


End file.
